U.S. leads 10-6, but late rally saves Europe

U.S. leads 10-6, but late rally saves Europe

USA’s Phil Mickelson talks to Keegan Bradley on the 12th tee during a foursomes match at the Ryder Cup PGA golf tournament Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill.

USA’s Phil Mickelson, left, and Keegan Bradley look over a putt on the fourth hole during a foursomes match at the Ryder Cup PGA golf tournament Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill.

USA’s Bubba Watson, left, and Webb Simpson look over a putt on the fifth hole during a foursomes match at the Ryder Cup PGA golf tournament Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill.

USA’s Keegan Bradley reacts after missing a putt on the third hole during a foursomes match at the Ryder Cup PGA golf tournament Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill.

USA’s Bubba Watson stretches on the first tee during a foursomes match at the Ryder Cup Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill.

USA’s Phil Mickelson, left, is congratulated by Keegan Bradley after making a putt on the fifth hole during a foursomes match at the Ryder Cup PGA golf tournament Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill.

Europe’s Lee Westwood, left, and Luke Donald look over a shot on the fifth hole during a foursomes match at the Ryder Cup PGA golf tournament Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill.

USA’s Phil Mickelson reacts as he makes a putt on the fifth hole during a foursomes match at the Ryder Cup PGA golf tournament Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill.

USA’s Phil Mickelson, right, and Keegan Bradley react on the seventh hole during a foursomes match at the Ryder Cup PGA golf tournament Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill.

Rory McIlroy of Europe reacts after missing a birdie putt on the sixth hole during day two of the Morning Foursome Matches for The 39th Ryder Cup at Medinah Country Club on September 29, 2012 in Medinah, Illinois.

USA’s Keegan Bradley reacts after making a putt on the ninth hole during a foursomes match at the Ryder Cup Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill.

USA’s Bubba Watson hits a drive on the first hole during a four-ball match at the Ryder Cup PGA golf tournament Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill.

Rory McIlroy of Europe reacts after he misses a birdie putt on the 18th hole.

Nicolas Colsaerts of Europe reacts to hitting a ball in the water on the 17th hole.

Fans cheer on the 16th hole during a foursomes match at the Ryder Cup PGA golf tournament Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill.

USA’s Brandt Snedeker reacts to his tee shot on the second hole during a foursomes match at the Ryder Cup PGA golf tournament Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill.

USA’s Zach Johnson reacts after missing a birdie putt on the 13th hole during a foursomes match at the Ryder Cup PGA golf tournament Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill.

USA’s Jim Furyk reacts after making a birdie putt on the 11th hole during a foursomes match at the Ryder Cup PGA golf tournament Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill.

Europe’s Rory McIlroy reacts after missing a putt on the seventh hole during a foursomes match at the Ryder Cup PGA golf tournament Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill.

Europe’s Ian Poulter reacts after making a birdie putt to win the 12th hole during a foursomes match at the Ryder Cup PGA golf tournament Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill.

Fans watch on the 11th hole during a foursomes match at the Ryder Cup PGA golf tournament Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill.

Keegan Bradley and Phil Mickelson celebrate during their foursomes match Saturday at the Ryder Cup.

USA’s captain Davis Love III talks to Former President George W. Bush during a four-ball match at the Ryder Cup PGA golf tournament Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill.

Europe’s Sergio Garcia reacts after making a birdie putt on the fourth hole during a four-ball match at the Ryder Cup PGA golf tournament Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill.

Europe’s Ian Poulter and Rory McIlroy talk as they walk up the first hole during a four-ball match at the Ryder Cup PGA golf tournament Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill.

USA’s Matt Kuchar, left, is congratulated by Dustin Johnson after making a birdie putt on the fourth hole during a four-ball match at the Ryder Cup PGA golf tournament Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill.

USA’s Zach Johnson reacts after making a birdie putt on the first hole during a four-ball match at the Ryder Cup PGA golf tournament Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill.

USA’s Matt Kuchar reacts after making a birdie putt on the second hole during a four-ball match at the Ryder Cup PGA golf tournament Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill.

Matt Kuchar

Zach Johnson of the USA celebrates on the 17th green during day two of the Morning Foursome Matches for The 39th Ryder Cup at Medinah Country Club on September 29, 2012.

USA’s Webb Simpson reacts after making a putt on the 11th hole during a four-ball match at the Ryder Cup Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill.

Europe’s Sergio Garcia, right, congratulates Luke Donald after winning the eighth hole during a four-ball match at the Ryder Cup PGA golf tournament Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill.

USA’s Steve Stricker shakes hands with former President George H. W. Bush during a four-ball match at the Ryder Cup PGA golf tournament Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill.

Europe’s Rory McIlroy shakes hands with Former President George W. Bush during a four-ball match at the Ryder Cup PGA golf tournament Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill.

Jim Furyk and Brandt Snedeker of the USA line up a putt on the 15th green during Day 2 at the Ryder Cup.

Tiger Woods of the USA celebrates a birdie on the 13th green during day two of the Afternoon Four-Ball Matches for The 39th Ryder Cup at Medinah Country Club.

Luke Donald, left, and Sergio Garcia of Europe win the ninth hole during the afternoon four-ball matches Saturday at the 39th Ryder Cup at Medinah Country Club.

Europe’s Rory McIlroy reacts after making a birdie putt on the 13th hole during a four-ball match at the Ryder Cup Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill.

USA’s Tiger Woods pauses on the 11th green during a four-ball match at the Ryder Cup PGA golf tournament Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill.

USA’s Webb Simpson, right, and Bubba Watson react after Simpson made a putt to with the 13th hole during a four-ball match at the Ryder Cup Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill.

Ian Poulter of Europe celebrates after making birdie on the 16th green during an afternoon four-ball matches at the Ryder Cup at Medinah Country Club.

Luke Donald of Europe reacts to his tee shot on the 17th hole during day two of the Afternoon Four-Ball Matches for The 39th Ryder Cup at Medinah Country Club.

Dustin Johnson of the USA celebrates his birdie putt on the 17th green during day two of the afternoon four-ball matches at the 39th Ryder Cup at Medinah Country Club.

Webb Simpson, left, is greeted by USA team captain Davis Love III on the 14th green after the team of Simpson/Watson defeated the team of Rose/Molinari 5 and 4 during their afternoon four-ball match at the 39th Ryder Cup at Medinah Country Club on September 29, 2012 in Medinah, Illinois.

MEDINAH, Ill. – Europe withstood Tiger Woods’ best pressure performance of the year as part of a late rally that kept the Ryder Cup within reach.

The visitors’ victories in Saturday’s final two matches mean they’ll start singles down, 10-6. They’ll have to win eight of the 12 available points in the Sunday singles to retain the Cup, a tall task, indeed, but not unprecedented. The United States team faced the same deficit before its record-setting comeback in 1999 at Brookline.

Woods, who’s struggled on the weekend of golf’s biggest events in 2012, used four birdies in a five-hole stretch to nearly extract his team from a 4-down deficit. Ian Poulter did one better, making birdie on the final five holes to win after trailing 2 down through 12.

Woods played Medinah’s 16th and 17th holes in a fashion reminiscent of his former years. He pointed at the hole as his 7-foot birdie putt on the 16th went into the hole, then yelled “Gimme some,” as his tee shot on the par-3 17th settled close to the hole.

It wasn’t enough for victory, though. Woods’ ball settled 4 feet from the 17th hole, but Luke Donald hit his tee shot even closer. It was a crucial halve in a 1-up victory for Donald and Sergio Garcia, who’d previously been winless this week.

They weren’t the only European stars to redeem themselves as dark settled on Medinah. Poulter’s heroics helped World No. 1 Rory McIlroy salvage a point Saturday. McIlroy could only shake his head and laugh at the Poulter’s bug-eyed celebrations after his putts continued to find the hole, including a 10-footer at 18 that followed Jason Dufner’s birdie-3.

“When Poults gets that look in his eyes, especially the week of the Ryder Cup, it’s really impressive,” McIlroy said.

McIlroy may be an unrivaled talent, but Poulter is the latest European who reserves his very best for the Ryder Cup. They won, 1 up, over Jason Dufner and Zach Johnson in the day’s final match.

“I love the fight of (match play),” Poulter said. “You get to stare your opponent straight in the face, and sometimes that’s what you need to do.

“It’s given the whole team a massive boost, to be able to go into tomorrow morning knowing that you can win from this position.”

In spite of its late losses, the United States still hasn’t seen Ryder Cup success like this for decades. This is the first time since 1981 that the Americans will enter singles with 10 or more points. By comparison, Europe has started the final session with 10-plus points on five occasions.

This is just the third time in the past nine Cups that the United States will enter singles, traditionally the Americans’ strongest session, with the lead. They started the afternoon with an 8-4 lead, the first time since Europe joined the Cup in 1979 that the Americans collected that many points in the first three sessions.

The home team never trailed in Saturday afternoon’s first two matches. Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson were 1 up through six holes before rolling off seven birdies in an eight-hole stretch. Five of them belonged to Simpson. The Americans’ 5-and-4 victory over Justin Rose and Francesco Molinari was completed when Watson two-putted for birdie on the par-5 14th.

Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar earned the Americans’ other point with a 1-up victory over Nicolas Colsaerts and Paul Lawrie. The match was all square on the par-3 17th, where all four balls found the green, giving one player the opportunity to be the match’s MVP. Johnson filled that role, holing a downhill, right-to-left 20-footer for birdie after both Europeans had missed their putts.

Woods and Stricker did their best to avoid another loss, but fell, 1 down, to Garcia and Donald. Love used one of his four captain’s selections on Woods’ preferred playing partner. They were 0-3 in team play, accounting for half of the United States’ losses thus far this week.

Stricker had a 7-foot birdie putt on No. 18 to halve the match, but it lipped out on the hole’s left side.

Woods and Stricker were 4 down at the turn, but Woods birdied the par-5 10th to win the hole. Steve Stricker hit 5-iron to 7 feet on the 12th to win with birdie. Woods’ 5-iron to 3 feet on the par-3 13th, which cut Europe’s lead to 1 up. Then Woods, laying the face of his wedge wide open, pitched to 6 feet and made the birdie putt to halve the next hole.

McIlroy started his team’s comeback with a 12-footer for birdie on the par-3 13th that put his team just one down. That set the stage for Poulter’s performance, and it kept the Ryder Cup competitive entering the final day.